Mildew usually grows in moist and warm environments. If there’s oxygen, moisture and even a little organic material, it can grow. However, it’s not that difficult to remove it – in fact, it only requires some simple steps to be done. If it appears again, even though you’ve removed it, then you didn’t clean it away fully. Most of the products used for removing mildew are chlorine based, and if you don’t remove the mildew fully, it will go back using the chlorine residue. To remove the mould once and forever, you’ll have to repeat cleaning many times and regularly.
To remove mildew from painted wood, you will need some chlorine bleach, some water, a few buckets, several sponges and a pair of rubber gloves.
1. First, pour a gallon of water in the bucket and add ¾ cup of bleach in the bucket.
2. Fill another bucket with clean water only.
3. Dampen one of the sponges in the cleaning solution and start scrubbing the mildew and the mould gently until they’re gone. Don’t soak the wood with water, as it will just cause damage. If the mould is stubborn, repeat several times, but dry each time, so that the wood doesn’t become saturated.
4. When the mould is removed, rinse with some of the clean water in the second bucket.
5. Make sure that you’ve removed all of the bleach so that there is no chance of the mould returning.
6. Let the wood dry.
To remove mildew from unpainted wood, you will need some chlorine bleach, some water, a few buckets, several sponges and a pair of rubber gloves.
1. First, mix three parts of water and one part of bleach in one of the buckets.
2. Pour clean water in the second bucket.
3. Dampen a sponge in the cleaning solution and scrub the mould and mildew gently until you’ve removed it all. Don’t let the wood soak in water, as it will be damaged.
4. When you’ve removed all of the mould and the mildew, rinse with clean water thoroughly.
5. Make sure that you’ve removed all of the bleach solution, otherwise chance is high that mildew will appear again.
6. Let the wood dry completely.
You can buy some commercial protective sprays that can resist soil and water, and thus prevent any mildew growth.
There are cleaners made especially to remove mildew and mould. Usually, they contain harsh chemicals and you should be very careful when using them. Always read the instructions on the label before you start cleaning with them.